U.S. patent application number 14/602983 was filed with the patent office on 2015-07-23 for viewer-interactive enhanced video advertisements.
The applicant listed for this patent is Sunshine Partners LLC. Invention is credited to Priti H. Chatter, Sonal Chatter.
Application Number | 20150208131 14/602983 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 53545955 |
Filed Date | 2015-07-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150208131 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chatter; Priti H. ; et
al. |
July 23, 2015 |
VIEWER-INTERACTIVE ENHANCED VIDEO ADVERTISEMENTS
Abstract
Systems and methods are provided whereby a viewer's selection of
an object that is displayed in a video image results in information
about that object being provided to the viewer. In preferred
embodiments, a viewer's selection of an object that is displayed in
a video image can result in an advertisement about the product or
service that is represented by the object being provided to the
viewer. In particularly preferred embodiments, the display of an
advertisement about the product or service that is represented by
the object can allow the viewer to purchase the product or
service.
Inventors: |
Chatter; Priti H.; (Concord,
MA) ; Chatter; Sonal; (Concord, MA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Sunshine Partners LLC |
Concord |
MA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
53545955 |
Appl. No.: |
14/602983 |
Filed: |
January 22, 2015 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61930438 |
Jan 22, 2014 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
725/60 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N 21/47815 20130101;
H04N 21/234318 20130101; H04N 21/4725 20130101; H04N 21/47205
20130101; H04N 21/23412 20130101; H04N 21/812 20130101; H04N
21/8583 20130101; H04N 21/8133 20130101; H04N 21/858 20130101; H04N
21/472 20130101; H04N 21/8586 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H04N 21/478 20060101
H04N021/478; H04N 21/435 20060101 H04N021/435; H04N 21/4725
20060101 H04N021/4725; H04N 21/81 20060101 H04N021/81; H04N 21/858
20060101 H04N021/858 |
Claims
1. A system comprising: a viewing device; a viewer interface device
that is operably connected through at least one network to at least
one content provider; at least one server comprising a data storage
device; and at least one advertisement computation engine, wherein
the viewing device is capable of displaying a video image and
wherein the viewer interface device can accept viewer input to
allow the viewer to select a video frame or a portion thereof.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein the viewing device is operably
connected through at least one network to at least one content
provider.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein the server comprises a
microprocessor configured for processing computer-executable
instructions and one or more data storage devices connected,
directly or indirectly, to the microprocessor.
4. The system of claim 1 wherein the network comprises at least one
of a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a
cellular network, a satellite network, or the Internet.
5. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one viewer interface
device is a personal computer, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a
laptop computer, a notebook computer, a tablet computer, Google
Glass, a smart remote control, an eye tracker or another hand-held
device.
6. The system of claim 2 wherein the viewing device can receive
streaming video over the network.
7. The system of claim 1 wherein the viewer input is provided by a
mouse, a track pad, or a touch screen.
8. The system of claim 1 wherein the system can correlate the
viewer input with a position on the image displayed on the viewer
interface device that corresponds with a pre-defined object within
the image.
9. The system of claim 1 wherein the advertisement computation
engine accepts multiple inputs selected from the group consisting
of configuration data, program identifiers, frame identifiers,
object identifiers, contents of a viewer profile, the geographical
location of the viewer, market data, advertiser's business targets
and their current status, viewer action data, recent performance
statistics, long term performance statistics, trend lines, other
sales channel data, and the viewing device type.
10. The system of claim 1 wherein the advertisement computation
engine provides at least one output selected from the group
consisting of an offer to the viewer, a real-time bid, an
advertisement, information, and automatic social media sharing
11. The system of claim 9 wherein the advertisement computation
engine is a real time adaptive feedback driven engine.
12. An advertisement computation method comprising the steps of
providing a video to be displayed on a viewer interface device of
the system of claim 1; accepting viewer input related to a position
on the display of the viewer interface device; correlating the
viewer input to a position on the video frame being displayed at
that time; and correlating the position on the displayed video
frame with a pre-determined object within the displayed video
frame.
13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of providing
the viewer with access to information associated with the
object.
14. The method of claim 12 wherein the information is accessed by
the viewer using a URL.
15. The method of claim 13 wherein the object is associated to a
product or a service.
16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of
displaying an advertisement related to the product or service.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein the advertisement is displayed
after the viewer selects a URL.
18. The method of claim 16 wherein the advertisement includes a URL
leading to further information about the product or service.
19. The method of claim 16 wherein the advertisement includes a URL
leading to a site supporting secured transactions to permit the
viewer to purchase the product or service.
20. The method of claim 14 wherein the URL provides access to the
site of a retailer, the site of a manufacturer, a site providing
special offers, or a site providing a mapping application that
provides travel directions from the user's location to the location
of a retailer.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a non-provisional patent application
that claims benefit of co-pending U.S. Provisional Application Ser.
No. 61/930,438, filed Jan. 22, 2014, the contents of which are
hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present disclosure relates to monetization of the
presentation of video material to viewers.
[0004] 2. Description of the Background
[0005] TV programming and videos are an integral part of daily
life; examples include nightly news, movies, comedy shows, drama
shows, reality TV, musicals, a movie on a DVD, YouTube etc.
(collectively referred from hereon as Programs). Videos can also be
viewed over the internet, some are streaming and others are
retrieved and displayed. With the advent of YouTube, growth in
wireless bandwidth, wider usage of smart phones, tablets, other
wireline and wireless devices, smart TVs, state of the art gaming
consoles etc. the conventional definitions have somewhat blurred
among various delivery mechanisms. The same holds true for viewing
devices. Most videos are monetized in the form of the revenue
generated via the advertisements while some are supported by
subscription services such as Hulu, Netflix and others.
Historically, advertisements generally appear at the beginning, and
often in the middle of a video and sometimes at the end as well. In
the case of on-line viewing, a viewer can typically click on the ad
and he(s)he is taken to a landing page of the advertiser, whereas
in the case of watching TV, the ads are not clickable by the viewer
even though many TV sets are directly or indirectly connected to
internet these days.
[0006] Limitations of the Existing Systems
[0007] Consider a popular sitcom today: there are one or more
entities involved in the effort of making it available for consumer
viewing, such as producers of the show, TV Networks such as
ABC/CBS/NBC, distribution channels such as Cable, Fiber, Satellite
companies and wireless networks, Internet service providers,
subscription based services such as HBO, online delivery companies
such as Netflix, on-line video providers, and local stations (a
combination of one or more such entities are collectively referred
from hereon as Content Provider). The primary means to monetize
such programming are advertisements (also referred to as ads) and
the revenue so derived is typically shared among Content Providers.
In general the ads are shown prior to the show starting, during the
show and towards the end of the show. However, the content part of
the show remains largely un-monetized.
[0008] The above mentioned sitcom for example can be viewed these
days by a viewer on-line or otherwise, on TV, or a tablet such as
an iPad, or a computer, or a smart phone, or a video game console,
and many other wireline or wireless devices collectively referred
as Viewing Devices.
[0009] Content Related Limitations
[0010] Consider an example of a viewer watching The Bachelor, a
reality TV show competition; a participant's dress catches her eye.
The viewer is interested in learning more about the dress and its
availability for purchase, but she has no easy way to find out. She
only knows what it looks like, but she doesn't know its designer,
price, and where it is available online, or in a store near her.
Another example is of Modern Family, a popular sitcom on ABC
network. One of the characters is playing a guitar in a particular
scene (more specifically in a frame or a sequence of frames) and a
viewer likes the guitar and wants to learn more about it;
unfortunately, here too the viewer has no easy way to find the
relevant information. The same applies to many other products
(please note that "product" and "service" are used interchangeably
herein) in a scene, such as shoes worn by a cast member, a wedding
dress, a handbag, a car, a chair in the background, a decorative
piece on the wall, a model of a cell phone or an app that a
character uses to perform a task and so on. A typical option for a
viewer will be to search on an internet connected device (could be
wireless or wireline) and hope that the information is available
since unfortunately, hardly any information is available for most
such Objects (Object is a broad term that could be product,
service, location, human, animal, plant, and fictional variations
thereof, and so on). To learn more also requires effort on the part
of the viewer to search, examine the results and painfully sift
through them to find the relevant information assuming that it is
even available.
[0011] This current challenge is compounded further when the viewer
may not want to stop watching, but remains interested in learning
about the Object(s) of interest such as dress(es) and/or shoe(s).
In that case, he or she will have to either vividly remember the
details, or take time to make a note about the Object and its
description and perform the search later. If a product specifics
are unknown, as that may be the case for most Objects, it may be
quite difficult and frustrating, if not nearly impossible, to learn
more. Another alternative is to record the Program for example on a
DVR, and go back and find the desired frame containing the
Object(s) later. Yet another alternative is to find the Program
on-line later (assuming it's available), find the right frame, and
then take notes.
[0012] Another example of an unfulfilled desire of a viewer would
be if the viewer likes Kim Kardashian's hairstyle while watching
the popular show Keeping up with the Kardashians and would like to
know instantaneously how to recreate that specific hairstyle, the
name of the hair style, which styling products were used and hair
color. Unfortunately, it will be nearly impossible to find out
immediately since such information is generally not available for
days, if not weeks or months.
[0013] Consider another example when a viewer watches a movie and a
beautiful golf course is seen in the backdrop. The viewer would
love to find out which golf course is shown, where it is located,
the course architect's name, the course's history, and any
tournaments that have been played there and so on. However, he or
she faces the same problem as described in previous paragraphs,
which is the lack of information availability.
[0014] In yet another scenario, a gorgeous beach is the backdrop of
a music video and a viewer would like to plan a trip to the beach
with his wife on their anniversary. The viewer is interested in
knowing more about the beach's location, the travel options, how
expensive it is, what the lodging facilities are and so on. It's
highly unlikely that he would be able to find such information
without extensive efforts.
[0015] Sometimes while watching a Program one merely wishes to
learn more about the subject being discussed. The viewer may not
want to actually buy anything. For example, a viewer may be
watching a Program on The History Channel about World War I and the
viewer wishes to learn more about one of the generals shown or a
battle tactic used. Today they must remember the name of whatever
interested them, the context, and then search for it later. This is
not only time consuming, but they are also unable to take away as
much from the Program and the viewer's desire to learn is partially
thwarted.
[0016] Another example, a viewer watches Arrested Development
Season 4 on Netflix and watches Buster Bluth, one of the
characters, eating a cupcake; the viewer is interested in that
cupcake and would like to find out if it is available locally or if
he can order it. Unfortunately, the viewer will have to conduct an
independent search and the odds are low that he will be able to
find it.
[0017] During an hour long prime time TV program, 40 minutes are
typically for content and 20 minutes are for conventional ads.
Thus, two thirds of the viewing time during a Program is not
monetized for the most part. (In the case of on-line video viewing,
the ratio of content time over advertisement time varies widely;
however, the basic challenge of non-monetization of content remains
the same). This inability to provide relevant information and/or
consummate one or more transactions in response to a viewer's
interest in one or more Objects in one or more frames, results in
severely constraining additional sources of revenue for the Content
Providers. The manufacturers, suppliers, retailers, information
providers, distributers, and/or service providers of the Objects
(collectively referred as Merchants) are also deprived of a
potential customer. Continuing with the examples above, In spite of
viewers' interests in dress worn by a participant in The Bachelor,
or a guitar or a handbag in Modern Family, or hair style on Keeping
Up with Kardashians, or a cupcake in Arrested Development, or a
golf course in a movie, or a gorgeous beach in a music video,
neither the Content Developer nor the corresponding Merchants
benefit and are therefore deprived of a massive opportunity.
[0018] Despite providing likable and relevant Objects in a Program,
a very large percentage of Object providing Merchants in the
Program do not advertise or cannot afford to advertise during
conventional ad time slots and unfortunately remain disconnected
with the viewers and fail to capitalize in the form of direct
potential feedback and/or transactions. To make matters worse, an
Object's relevance to viewers typically diminishes over time, for
example, a cell phone may no longer be available when a rerun of an
episode is shown two years later. Furthermore, such Merchants not
only remain unaware, but are also unable to target or follow-up
with interested viewers with their respective product(s).
[0019] One of the most popular video viewing sites is YouTube;
video providers place their video here and when a viewer watches
said video, Google monetizes it by inserting ads before, during or
sometimes at the end of the video. Generally the video provider
does not share in the revenue derived by the advertising. For
example, an amateur moviemaker uploads his/her short film on
YouTube in hope of attracting many viewers, and has decent success;
even then, while the video will get branding and recognition, there
will be no direct monetary benefit to the movie maker. Thus many
talented individuals, groups, and small companies are unfortunately
deprived of payments on their successful content creation.
[0020] Advertisements Related Limitations:
[0021] There are many similarities and some differences in the
limitations between conventional TV/video advertising as opposed to
on-line advertising. The principal difference is that during
on-line viewing an advertisement can be clicked.
[0022] Conventional TV/Video Advertising Related Limitations:
[0023] Time slots are sold to various advertisers in the
advertising segment of a Program. However, the Objects within the
frame(s) of each such advertisement remain flat since no additional
information is specifically available about any Object. Consider a
case in which, the well-known department store, such as Macy's, is
advertising a large sale and a frame contains various clothing
items and appliances. A dressy shirt catches a viewer's eye in
particular, but, to learn more about it, she has to independently
go to the Macy's site online at that moment, or later (requiring
that the specifics are remembered by the viewer) and search through
all the shirts on the website. A time consuming effort indeed to
find the specific Object of interest. Furthermore, she can make a
trip to Macy's, but there is no way of knowing, if that shirt will
be on the floor in the Macy's store she chooses to go to. So the
viewer is frustrated and Macy's also lost a customer.
[0024] Another widely known difficulty is that many viewers record
their Programs of interest and fast-forward the ads which
diminishes the expected impact of such ads and reduces the ROI
(Return on Investment) for the advertisers. The fast forwarding has
also made measurement of an ad's viewership much more difficult to
determine. Some efforts have been made to force viewers to watch
the ads by not allowing them to fast forward, but these have not
had much success.
[0025] Another challenge is that the ads may change between
conventional TV viewing and on-line viewing. For example a viewer
watches Saturday Night Live (SNL) on his TV when it first airs, and
saw an ad of a man's cologne that interests him, but continued
watching the show and forgot the cologne's name. When he goes
online to review the episode of SNL the next day on the NBC website
to look for that cologne, the advertisements are different and the
viewer is unable to capitalize on his interest and is disappointed
and/or frustrated. The Merchants also miss out on this monetization
opportunity.
[0026] Another challenge is that the advertising during a Program
is determined by the advertisers on the basis of aggregated viewer
demographics and its suitability to one or more of their business
goals. However, the ads shown are largely disconnected from the
content of the show itself. For example, an analogous situation
would be an individual who goes to the Air and Space Museum in
Washington D.C. After going through the exhibits and the whole
museum, the individual goes to the gift shop. At the gift shop all
the products being sold are unrelated to Air and Space; the
products are an eclectic mix of items from all categories
instead.
[0027] Yet another limitation is that the advertisers for each slot
are determined in advance and have no ability to pick and choose a
viewer in real-time based on his/her unique profile (or profile of
a small group of viewers, such as a family, watching together).
[0028] To summarize, similar to Merchants, the advertisers also are
quite constrained as there is no direct measurable viewer feedback
during or immediately after the Program. The advertiser also does
not have the ability to go back and access the interested viewers
through other available channels.
[0029] The above described limitations are persistent regardless of
whether the Program is being aired for the first time or it's a
rerun. For example, a 4-year-old rerun of a popular comedy Big Bang
Theory on another TV channel would have different ads than the ones
shown during its original broadcast and the monetization in general
through the new ads is lower.
[0030] Similar limitations exist for example when a DVD (a generic
term used for DVD, Blue Ray disc, and other such media) of a movie
is sold to a consumer. Generally there are no ads in middle of such
a program although it may have ads at the beginning or end. There
are two challenges with such an advertising strategy. First, the
ads get stale with time and may no longer be relevant. For example,
an ad for a winter coat while the movie is watched in middle of
summer, or, even worse, three years later when the merchant may
have gone out of business. The second challenge is that ads at the
beginning or end are usually skipped. Thus, the ads in this case
generate little revenue, if any, for the Content Provider and the
selling price of said DVD is the only means of monetization. The
above also applies to other applications such as video game
cartridges or video game DVDs.
[0031] The challenges are even more acute for Content Providers
such as HBO who do not show any ads in return for charging a
subscription fee, which becomes their only means of monetization.
Those providing on-demand TV or pay per view also suffer from
similar challenges.
[0032] On-Line Video Advertisement Related Limitations:
[0033] On-line viewing also largely suffers from the same
difficulties although there are some differences. Specifically,
during on-line viewing, unlike the content, an advertisement can be
clicked and the viewer is able to go to a landing page; however,
the viewer may still be forced to do his/her own search to find the
specific Object of interest in the ad which may not always be the
Product advertised. Consider an example in which a movie is being
advertised to a viewer in middle of watching an on-line video. The
viewer may not be interested in the movie, but is interested in a
boat that is in one or more frames of the ad, yet the viewer has no
recourse except an independent search that may or may not provide
the answer.
[0034] When an on-line viewer clicks on an ad frame and taken to a
landing page, the Objects within the frame(s) still suffer from the
same limitation as above. Continuing with the example of Macy's,
which is advertising a large sale and a frame contains various
clothing items and appliances. A dressy shirt catches a viewer's
eye in particular and her click leads her to a landing page.
Unfortunately, she still has no easy way to find the shirt without
browsing through almost countless options--a time consuming effort.
Alternatively, she can make a trip to Macy's, but there is no way
of knowing, if that shirt will be on the floor in the Macy's she
chooses to go to. The result is that the viewer has frustrating
experience and Macy's also lost an opportunity to sale. To
summarize, viewers, Merchants, Content Providers and advertisers
all suffer from the serious limitations as outlined above.
[0035] In general, the content of the video itself, such as a TV
sitcom, whether viewed on-line or on TV remains largely
un-monetized, and the conventional advertisements are the major
means for revenue generation. As an example, a 30-minute show may
have 20 minutes of content and 10 minutes of advertising. The 20
minutes of content is largely un-monetized. What is needed is a
solution that substantially enhances the monetization of such
videos and TV programming, recent and vintage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0036] Systems and methods are provided whereby a viewer's
selection of an object that is displayed in a video image results
in information about that object being provided to the viewer. In
preferred embodiments, a viewer's selection of an object that is
displayed in a video image can result in an advertisement about the
product or service that is represented by the object being provided
to the viewer. In particularly preferred embodiments, the display
of an advertisement about the product or service that is
represented by the object can allow the viewer to purchase the
product or service.
[0037] In certain embodiments, a user's selection of an object that
is displayed in a video image results in the display of information
to the viewer about that object. In preferred embodiments, a user's
selection of an object that is displayed in a video image can
result in the display of an advertisement about the product or
service that is represented by the object. In particularly
preferred embodiments, the display of an advertisement about the
product or service that is represented by the object can allow the
viewer to purchase the product or service. In one embodiment, a
system is provided comprising a viewing device; a viewer interface
device that is operably connected through at least one network to
at least one content provider; at least one server comprising a
data storage device; at least one advertisement computation engine
wherein the viewing device is capable of displaying a video image
and wherein the viewer interface device can accept viewer input to
allow the viewer to select a video frame or a portion thereof. In
certain embodiments of the system, the viewing device is operably
connected through at least one network to at least one content
provider.
[0038] In certain embodiments, the system comprises a Viewing
Device 730, one or more viewer Interface Devices 720, each operably
connected through at least one Network 740 to one or more Content
Providers 750, Object Advertisers 754, or Frame Advertisers 758
that, in turn, are operably connected to one or more Servers 760 or
virtual servers in the cloud, as exemplified in FIG. 7A. The viewer
Interface Devices 720, Content Providers 750, Object Advertisers
754, or Frame Advertisers 758 can be operably connected, directly
and/or indirectly, via one or more Networks 740, which may include,
but are not limited to, a local area network (LAN), a wide area
network (WAN), a cellular network, a satellite network or,
preferably, the Internet. In certain embodiments, each Server 760
comprises a microprocessor configured for processing
computer-executable instructions and one or more data storage
devices connected, directly or indirectly, to the microprocessor.
The Viewing Device 730 is operably connected, directly and/or
indirectly, to Content Providers by one or more Networks 740, which
may include, but are not limited to, a local area network (LAN), a
wide area network (WAN), a cellular network, a satellite network
or, preferably, the Internet. Preferably the connections of the
Viewing Device 730 are bidirectional.
[0039] A Server 760 is operably connected to an Advertisement
("Ad") Computation Engine ("ACE") 770. Due to the high bandwidth
required by video transmission and video streaming over the
Internet, the ACE is optimally implemented in high speed
specialized hardware adapted to processing video signals. Less
preferably, the ACE can be implemented in software.
[0040] While the ACE is associated and typically reside with an
Object Advertiser and/or Frame Advertiser, this is not necessarily
true in all cases. FIG. 7A illustrates a number of embodiments for
the connection of an ACE to a Server. The ACE may reside with the
Content Provider in case it is acting as an Object Advertiser. For
example, ABC Network may advertise one of its own Programs during
another of their Programs. In another embodiment, a Content
Provider may source the data from one or more Object Advertisers
and/or Frame Advertisers, collate the data in the desired format,
and acts as the ad server with associated ACE. In further
embodiment, the ACE functionality could be split across two
physical and/or virtual engines, one residing with a Content
Provider and another with the Object Advertiser and/or Frame
Advertiser, working together. In yet another implementation, a
physical machine may contain multiple virtual ACEs. In an
alternative implementation, the ACE may reside at a third party
such as a Demand Side Provider on behalf of a corresponding
Merchant. In another embodiment, Object Advertiser and/or frame
information provider functionality may reside with the Content
Provider.
[0041] In certain embodiments, the viewer Interface Device 720 can
also function as a Viewing Device 730. See FIG. 7B. Viewer
Interface Devices 720 may include, but are not limited to, personal
computer, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a laptop computer, a
notebook computer, a tablet computer, Google Glass, a smart remote
control, an eye tracker or another hand-held device. Preferably,
the system is functional to present images, preferably to stream
video to the viewing device. The system can accept viewer input. In
preferred embodiments, the viewer input is provided by a mouse, a
track pad, a touch screen, or other suitable pointing device.
[0042] In certain embodiments, the system can correlate the viewer
input with a position on the image displayed on the viewer
interface device that corresponds with a pre-defined Object within
the image. The Object is associated in a database with information,
or links to information, corresponding to one or more of a product,
a service, a retailer, an advertiser, a mapping application or a
secure transaction application.
[0043] In other aspects, a method of providing advertisements to a
viewer in the context of a video being viewed by the user. In a
preferred embodiment, the method includes the steps of providing a
video to be displayed on a Viewing Device; accepting viewer input
related to a position on the display of the viewer Interface
Device; correlating the viewer input to a position on the video
frame being displayed at that time; correlating the position on the
displayed video frame with a determined Object within the displayed
video frame; providing the viewer with information, or links to
information, corresponding to one or more of a product, a service,
a retailer, an advertiser, a mapping application or a secure
transaction application.
[0044] The above described and other features are exemplified by
the following Figures and a detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0045] The foregoing and other features and advantages will be
apparent from the following more particular description of
exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, as illustrated in the
accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to
the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not
necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon
illustrating the principles of the disclosure.
[0046] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary video
frame.
[0047] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the video frame of FIG. 1,
showing eight examples of Objects that have been identified in the
video frame by the content provider.
[0048] FIG. 3 lists examples of advertisers associated with the
identified Objects of FIG. 2.
[0049] FIG. 4 illustrates an example in which the viewer has
selected an Object of interest, the white and silver bag, Object
7.
[0050] FIG. 5 illustrates four examples of retailer's ads that are
associated with the selected Object 7 including links to internet
sites that provide further details of the offers, and the
opportunity to purchase, in a secure transaction, a product or
service represented by Object 7.
[0051] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the inputs and outputs of an
embodiment of an Advertisement Computation Engine (ACE).
[0052] FIGS. 7A and 7B are schematic illustrations of two
embodiments of the disclosed system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0053] Enhanced Video Advertisements (EVA):
[0054] In this invention, one or more Objects in one or more frames
as shown in FIG. 1 of a Program/video/on-line video are uniquely
identified by the Content Provider as shown in FIG. 2. Each such
Object can then be associated with one or more participating Object
Merchants as shown in FIG. 3. As the Objects appear during the
Program, the viewer has the ability to select one or more desired
Objects per frame or the frame(s) containing them as shown in FIG.
4. Similar to the association of Objects with a frame, one or more
frames can also be associated with one or more participating
Merchants. As such frames appear during a Program, the viewer has
the ability to select one or more such desired frames. Such
selected Object(s) and/or frame(s) are then automatically
saved.
[0055] The saved frames and/or the Objects can be viewed later for
further follow-up by the viewer at his/her convenience.
Alternatively, if a viewer desires to learn more about the
Object(s) and/or frames of interest immediately, the viewer can
pause the Program (or watch while the Program is live), learn more
in real-time as shown in FIG. 5, and/or possibly transact if so
desired, or decide to further review the Object(s) and/or frame(s)
later, and/or subsequently resume (or continue) watching if
interested. Another option for the viewer is to select one or more
Objects and/or one or more frames and request that the information
be sent for further follow-up. A viewer can also choose to do one
or more such steps.
[0056] It should be noted that instead of each frame, the Object
related information may be associated just once every few frames to
optimize the viewing performance.
[0057] Similarly, one or more Objects in one or more advertisement
frames during ad slots can be selected as above (assuming
advertiser's consent). Similarly, one or more advertisement frames
are also selectable. Thus, a seamless and markedly more enriching
experience is achieved by the viewer while simultaneously enabling
the Merchants, Content Providers, and advertisers to enhance their
monetization.
[0058] The details of the disclosure follow.
[0059] Frame Enhancements:
[0060] The Content Provider (and/or other third parties) enhances
the previously mentioned flat frame (flat in this context means
just the images and corresponding audio without additional
attributes, regardless of the number of dimensions associated with
such a frame, for example frames in a 3D movie) by providing
attributes that uniquely identify one or more Objects in a frame.
Continuing with the earlier used example of a sitcom "Modern
Family", a frame that has Sofia Vergara (playing the role of
Gloria) holding a stylish handbag, wearing designer shoes, and
carrying a slick cell phone in her hand ready to head out, all can
be uniquely identified. If the frame also has a 60'' Sony TV in the
background and Rico Rodriguez (Playing the role of Manny) is
playing a video game on the TV, then the TV, video game console and
the game itself can also be identified as Objects. Another example
is a cell phone app that Ty Burr (playing the role of Phil Dunphy)
is using and that app itself could be an Object. Similarly both a
coffee mug and the coffee inside of it could be two different
Objects in which a mug may be a primary Object and the coffee in
the mug is defined as a secondary Object. (Please note that for the
ease of usage primary Objects and secondary Objects have been used
interchangeably from hereon). It is not necessary that all Objects
are identified in any given frame or that Objects are identified in
each frame. These added attributes could be considered in making
such frames multi-layered instead of flat. In an enhanced
implementation these added attributes among others could also
include one or more categories an Object is part of such as
electronics, home entertainment, clothing, cosmetics, auto services
etc.
[0061] Consider the magnitude of the challenge in assigning Object
attributes: In the United States, presently a typical TV Program
has 30 frames per second or 1800 frames per minute (A YouTube video
may have 24 to 60 frames per second). For an hour long TV Program
there will be 108,000 total frames. If, for example, there are 20
Objects per frame that need to be uniquely identified/attributed,
then the total number of such Objects in the program will be 2.16
million, clearly a serious effort. It should be noted that unique
Object identification/attribution per frame does not necessarily
mean that the underlying Product (used here in a broad sense to
include all types that are collectively identified as Object) is
different in every case from one frame to next. In fact there will
be considerable overlap, and the total unique number of underlying
Products will be much smaller. Continuing with the Modern Family
example, if a handbag used by Sofia Vergara appears for about 40
seconds, then this will equate to 1,200 frames in the case of
conventional TV viewing. In the worst case the handbag has to be
uniquely identified for each frame, thus 1,200 times. Even though,
the underlying product, the handbag, remains the same.
[0062] Similar to Objects above, one or more frames are also
identified and assigned attributes.
[0063] Viewer Interactions:
[0064] Consider an example of a viewer who admires the handbag in
the Modern Family sitcom, and is interested in knowing more. She
selects the handbag, for example, by using the cursor, a smart
phone, a pointer, an eye tracker, Google Glass, a smart remote
control, a finger on a touch screen, or a verbal cue etc. or other
means or technologies as they evolve in the future. The viewer also
has an option to select an entire frame as opposed to a specific
Object as she may be interested in the decor of the whole room.
Correspondingly, the frame and/or the selected Object, a handbag in
this example, are automatically saved. The viewer can also select
multiple Objects in a frame or across frames or multiple frames
during the Program and such are automatically saved as well. In
common embodiments, Viewing Device has direct or indirect Internet
connectivity. The data saved could be at one or more viewer
designated devices and/or locations, or may be automatically
defaulted to a location established by the Content Provider, or it
could be in the Cloud, or in some cases stored at the Viewing
Device itself for later transmittal to Merchants as and when
Internet connectivity becomes available and so on.
[0065] The saved Object(s) and/or frame(s) can be viewed later by
the viewer at her convenience allowing her to continue watching the
Program uninterrupted. The saved information could be saved until
the viewer deletes it or the information could have a time-to-live
timer associated with it or variations thereof. Continuing with the
Modern Family example, the viewer may only be interested in the
handbag but may have saved the frame to gain a better perspective
of the overall look of Sofia Vergara. The viewer can then select
the handbag in the frame, and is provided with the associated
information. The source of the associated information could be a
retailer such as Nordstrom and/or the manufacturer of the handbag
such as Coach, Louis Vuitton, Tory Burch, etc. In either case, they
are acting in the capacity of an Object advertiser. The information
may include one or more relevant specifics such as price,
availability, manufacturer, supplier, views of the handbag from
various angles, availability in a local store within a certain
distance, other available handbags, any on-going sale, related
accessories, any points that can be earned, how long the offer is
valid, one or more URL and so on. In a further enhancement, the
information provided such as price, shipping duration etc. could be
customized by Object advertiser to the viewer profile. The ability
to select the desired Object (and learn about it at a convenient
time) while watching a Program makes Object advertising more
relevant to the viewer as opposed to the ads during the
conventional advertising slots which may or may not have any
relevance to the content being watched or the viewer.
[0066] After viewing the Object's specifics the viewer can decide
to proceed forward and consummate the transaction, or save it in a
shopping cart for further consideration, or leave it as is and make
no decision, or decide not to move forward, and/or share the Object
with others, etc. This helps the Object advertiser to get valuable
feedback about the level of interest in the viewer community. This
also enables the Object advertiser to target the viewer going
forward and also update his/her profile. Continuing with the
example of Modern Family, a viewer liked the handbag Sofia Vergara
was carrying and selected it. Then a few minutes after the sitcom
ended, she reviewed the information received from one or more
advertisers. At that point she could put that handbag in her
shopping cart; or she could also complete the transaction, share
the handbag information through social media, or do nothing. In
another example, the viewer saw a golf course in a movie as a
backdrop and selected the frame. Sometime later, the viewer reviews
the information received from one or more frame Advertisers about
the golf course, the travel options, the lodging facilities, other
attractions in the area etc. and corresponding offers. At this
point the viewer can decide to proceed forward and take some action
such as making travel and lodging reservations, or hold onto the
information for another day, or share the information with other
individuals, or do nothing, etc.
[0067] Another viewer who admires the handbag and shoes and is
interested in knowing more instantaneously; selects both the
handbag and shoes, or the frame containing them as described above.
However, as the viewer is interested in learning more about the
handbag and shoes immediately, the Program is paused, and the
information associated with the selection is shown. An alternative
is to open another window to view the desired information and
continue watching the sitcom simultaneously. If a frame containing
the Objects is selected, then the viewer can hover over one or more
Object(s) of desire and is provided with some information as
he(s)he moves from one Object to another. The viewer can then
select the handbag or shoes and get much more detailed information
as described above. Alternatively, the viewer can select the
handbag directly without having to hover over the handbag and is
taken to the window with the relevant information as described in
the previous paragraphs. Subsequently the viewer could hold it for
further viewing and/or decision making at another time, or he(s)he
can consummate a transaction, etc. Then, the viewer can resume the
viewing if it was paused, all seamlessly executed. This process
also helps the Object advertiser measure the viewers' interest as
the advertiser gets real-time feedback and ability to subsequently
target the viewers more effectively. Although the example above is
described for selected Objects, it also applies to selected frames
for example in the case when a golf course described in earlier
paragraphs was selected.
[0068] Yet another viewer who admires the handbag and is interested
in knowing more selects the handbag, and the viewer requests that
corresponding advertiser(s) send the information about the handbag
for further follow-up. Such information is seamlessly delivered to
the viewer at its designated place. Alternatively, in the case of
multiple advertisers, an implementation may allow the highest
bidding Object advertiser to send the relevant information, or
variations thereof. The viewer can then view the information later
at her convenience. Although the example above is described for
handbag, it also applies to the example in the case when a frame
with a golf course as a backdrop described in earlier paragraphs
was selected.
[0069] Another alternative is that the viewer could activate a
hovering mode in real-time and as it selects an Object, some
information about the Object is shared on the screen as long as the
Object remains in the frames while the Program is continuing. After
viewing some basic information, the viewer has the option as
described above to either pause the Program and have a closer look,
or not pause and take a closer look, or decide to view it later, or
request to have information delivered, or decide not to proceed, or
do nothing for the time being, or any appropriate combination and
variations thereof. This also applies to the example in the case
when a golf course frame described in earlier paragraphs was
selected.
[0070] In yet another alternative, the viewer can configure to save
Objects by category. For example, a viewer may be interested in
every Object marked as a dress during the Academy Awards. In this
case, all Objects identified with the "dress" category and/or
corresponding frames are automatically saved without requiring the
viewer to select them as they appear on the screen, and/or the
viewer can request that the information be sent to her as described
in previous paragraphs. It should be noted that this mode does not
prevent the viewer from selecting additional Object(s) and/or
frames as described in the previous paragraphs. For example, the
same viewer may decide to select other Objects such as jewelry as
well while watching the Program. Similarly, one could configure to
save the frames by category such as Tourist Destination.
[0071] Continuing with the Modern Family example, if the viewer
likes a handbag, she can further seamlessly share that interest
with her friends through social media. A tweet about the frame or
the handbag can be auto generated if so desired at any point of
time including but not limited to while hovering on an Object of
interest, selecting an Object, while viewing the information,
posting the consummation of the transaction and so on. The frame(s)
and/or Object(s) could also be automatically or seamlessly shared
through other social media channels such as Pinterest, Twitter,
Tumblr, Snapchat, Facebook and others. Feedback from such sharing
with social media can be monetized by the Content Provider for
example by enhancing the content and to have better insight into
the Program's demographics. It could also be used by frame and/or
Object Advertisers for additional targeting.
[0072] Advertiser Interactions:
[0073] A real-time Ad Computation Engine (ACE) is used to support
various scenarios outlined below in order to support Object and/or
frame advertising, be it part of content or part of
advertisements.
[0074] Each Object in a frame or a frame itself can have one or
more advertisers associated with it. Such an association could
either be static or dynamic. Static association implies that the
same advertiser remains associated with the Object and/or frame for
a predetermined duration although the corresponding advertising
content may not stay the same. Whereas dynamic association allows
different advertisers for the same Object and/or frame. Various
scenarios are described below for Objects but apply to frames as
well:
[0075] An advertiser can be permanently associated with an Object
and the associated content also stays the same. Although relatively
the simplest solution, it has number of disadvantages especially as
the video ages and along with it likely the Object (for example the
handbag used by Sofia Vergara in "Modern Family" may go out of
fashion). In such cases the efficacy of the ad will go down as a
function of time. There may be scenarios such as an Object being a
tourist destination such as Maui and in that case the content may
have higher longevity. One of the advantages is that the Object
advertiser gets the guaranteed spot for a long time and the Content
Provider in return has a long term contract with little if any
on-going effort on its part.
[0076] An advertiser can be permanently associated with an Object;
however, the advertiser is able to update the associated content.
This to a degree reduces the aging issue. Consider an example in
which a character is drinking coffee from a mug that has Starbucks
written on it and that mug has been defined as an Object. When
viewers click on it over a period of time, they may see updated
ads. If someone saw a rerun of a TV sitcom three years later
(on-line or otherwise) and selected the mug, the Object ad itself
will be relevant and may contain the current promotions. The
advantages are that the Object advertiser is able to provide more
relevant ad content and has a potentially long term contract.
Furthermore, the Content Provider also benefit with increased
revenue although at somewhat increased cost as it is required to
provide the requisite services to support the ad content update.
This capability also helps generate enhanced revenue and to a large
degree negate the effect of aging. For example a movie on DVD that
may be 3 years old but it will have Object related ads that are
updated. In a further enhancement, conventional ad slots could also
be introduced if desired by the DVD provider for additional revenue
and such conventional ads could also be updated as a function of
time.
[0077] Alternatively, the Object advertisers could be different for
the same Object over a longer duration. Continuing with the "Modern
Family" example, the shoes worn by Sofia Vergara are defined as an
Object. The shoes may initially have retailers Nordstrom and Lord
& Taylor associated with it when the show airs for the first
time; however, the reruns syndicated a year after its first airing
may have Macy's advertising for the same Object. It should be noted
that the Object advertiser drives the advertisement content and as
time goes by and that particular pair of shoes go out of style, the
advertiser may advertise new lines of shoes. This allows the Object
advertisers to optimize one or more of their business targets such
as revenue, profit, inventory etc. in a desired window of time. As
an example one or more Object advertisers may be interested in
selling their shoe inventory this season whereas another one or
more Object advertisers may be more interested in the long tail
(and as a result typically has lower advertising cost) with shoes
that may not be the same as the Object related but along similar
lines. The Content Provider also benefits if the show has a strong
viewership for reruns then it can charge more money than usual even
in later years instead of committing all the Object related ad
opportunities at the front end itself.
[0078] In another alternative, Object advertisers could be
different even in the short term. For example, an advertiser may
associate itself with an Object only for a specified geographical
location such as California and Oregon if the advertiser is only
active or is interested in attracting customers from only those two
states. Another example is that of a restaurant with only a few
locations within a state. In another embodiment, an Object may be
associated with multiple advertisers, randomly assigned in a
pre-defined percentage of viewership. In yet another embodiment, if
an Object appears multiple times during a program, the Object could
have different advertisers associated with it. For example, a
cellphone is shown on screen 4 times in a Program and different
service providers could be associated with the same cell phone. In
another embodiment an Object advertiser may only be interested in
users who are viewing the Program on a certain device(s) such as an
iPad, iPhone, Android phones, Android tablets, a specific gaming
box, or a DVD player, or it may be interested in all viewers except
those watching the Program from a specific type of tablet. Thus
there could be various ways and channels the association of an
advertiser with an Object could occur.
[0079] Alternatively, an advertiser may only want to be attached to
an Object, subject to a viewer profile meeting pre-defined
criteria. In the case of the handbag example from Modern Family,
the Object advertiser may not be interested in a viewer who is
male. In the example of women's shoes, the Object advertiser may
only want to target female viewers under 35 with an annual income
above a certain threshold. On the other hand a video game console
supplier may only want to target those viewers who are under 18 and
male. In an enhancement, the criteria itself could be changed in
real-time to further optimize the results. Such profile-based
advertising maximizes the return for the Object advertiser, yet
allows the Content Provider to sell the Object related ad
opportunities more widely.
[0080] The above is further enhanced by allowing multiple
advertisers for the same Object who may desire different
demographics. Consider an example in which the Object is a pair of
shoes that multiple Merchants wish to associate with as an Object
advertiser. All the advertisers are large department stores
carrying that brand; however, each has different demographics in
mind. A viewer's profile is compared against each of the Object
advertisers' requirements and that viewer will see the Object
advertiser with whom her profile matches the most. This optimizes
each of the advertiser's targeting while enhancing the revenue
stream for Content Providers.
[0081] It should be noted that one or more advertisers are allowed
to be associated with the same Object at the same time for the same
viewer for the various scenarios described above. The viewer has
the option to pick and choose.
[0082] In another enhancement, real-time bidding occurs amongst
competing Object advertisers who desire for the same viewer
profile. In this case once a viewer has selected an Object, his/her
profile is shared among the interested advertisers in real-time.
Subsequently, those advertisers (or third parties on their behalf)
who are interested can make a bid. The actual real-time bidding
process could be just a single bid auction or multiple iterative
bids until there is only one bidder left with the best bid, or
variations thereof subject to the implementation. The winning bid
then gets the right to advertise for the selected Object. This also
enables more refined targeting and/or bidding by an Object
advertiser as the bid amount for each viewer among other things
could also be dependent on the advertiser's one or more business
targets and their respective status at that time. This also
maximizes the return for the Content Provider. In an alternative,
multiple advertisers could be allowed, for example, the top three
bidders could advertise to the viewer for the same Object at the
same time, etc. The actual auction process is controlled by an
auctioneer that could reside with a Content Provider or a third
party.
[0083] In an example discussed earlier a moviemaker who uploads a
video to YouTube does not usually get to share in the revenue when
ads are placed by Google. This novel innovation allows such video
providers to identify one or more Objects and such Objects could
then be associated with advertisers in ways as described above. The
level of interest and the payment from the Object advertisers to
the video provider will likely go up as the popularity of the video
increases. Consider an example of a successful YouTube Video that
shows "How to apply eye shadow". In this instance the creator may
have multiple cosmetics merchants competing to advertise for each
Object. Subject to implementation, one or more Object advertisers
may be allowed as described in previous paragraphs. The key
advantage is enabling the video provider of such a video to
economically share in the proceeds instead of just Google and/or
those offering similar services taking most, if not all, of the
generated revenue. This proposed novel solution democratizes the ad
monetization and funds additional creative activity as well.
[0084] Frames in a conventional advertisement time slot (typically
30 seconds) that have already been bought by an advertiser, for
example, Macy's also offers opportunities to provide a more
effective and/or targeted advertisement for each Object included in
the ad. In the conventional TV advertising industry, a linear
sequence of commercials is called "POD", and within each POD each
commercial is uniquely identified by its POD number and its
location within that POD. Consider a frame in a Macy's commercial
that contains clothing and appliances with one or more of them
defined as Objects. As a viewer selects one or more such Objects,
he(s)he is provided with relevant information and can seamlessly
follow-up in various ways as described earlier in the document. An
additional benefit is enhanced viewing of conventional ads and a
lesser likelihood of an ad being bypassed even when a Program is
watched on DVR or equipment with similar functionality, etc. It
should be noted that an Object advertiser's right to advertise
could be limited to that commercial in a POD, or multiple
commercials in the same POD, or commercials within multiple PODS
but not all, or within all the PODS during the Program. In the case
of on-line viewing while the conventional ads can be presently
clicked for additional information, Objects within a frame of the
ad are not. The present disclosure addresses this serious
limitation.
[0085] In an enhanced version, while Macy's may pay for the ad time
slot, it may be able to simultaneously collect revenue from the
Merchants providing the Objects due to enhanced Object level
advertising in addition to the frame level advertising. This
effectively reduces the ad cost for Macy's while allowing the
Merchants to gain increased visibility. In another business model,
the Content Provider may also share in part of such proceeds as
well thus making it win-win for the parties involved.
[0086] In another scenario, Objects could be defined in a frame and
yet may not have an advertiser associated with it but relevant
information is. As an example, there is a Program on PBS (Public
Broadcasting Station) about the history of a castle in England.
When a viewer selects an Object in a frame, the viewer is sent more
information related to the Object, but is not necessarily sent
advertising information. The information the viewer receives is
only educational. In this context the entity providing the
information may be considered Object Information Provider.
[0087] The Ad Computation Engine:
[0088] The Ad Computation Engine or Advertisement Computation
Engine ("ACE") is generally associated with an Object Advertiser
and/or frame Advertiser. A block diagram of the Ad Computation
Engine is shown in FIG. 6. The ACE accepts multiple inputs. The
exemplary inputs include configuration data, program/frame/object
identifiers, a viewer profile, the geographical location of the
viewer, market data, Advertiser's business targets and their
current status, viewer action data, recent performance statistics,
long term performance statistics, trend lines, other sales channel
data, the viewing device type, etc. An ACE may also have a subset
of such inputs.
[0089] The outputs include one or more of an offer to the viewer, a
real-time bid, an advertisement and/or information, and/or
automatic social media sharing etc. The outputs could also be fed
back to the engine for subsequent usage as appropriate and
described in detail below. Such an advertiser could support one or
more Objects and/or frames. The ACE's key capabilities include one
or more of the generation and/or formatting and/or structuring of
the actual ad itself, computation of a customized offer subject to
viewer profile, computation of a customized offer and/or (real-time
bid) subject to viewer profile towards optimizing the corresponding
advertising Merchant's one or more unique targets, and/or ability
to seamlessly share the viewer's one or more desired Objects and/or
frames through social media. The ACE uses one or more of an
arithmetic unit, a rules processing unit, and/or logic unit for the
requisite computations. The ACE's functionality may also include an
ability to provide a unique ad for each viewer for an Object and/or
a frame, an ability to provide a unique ad from one instance to
next for the same Object and/or for the same frame, an ability to
provide a unique ad from one instance to next for the same Object
and/or for the same frame for the same viewer, an ability to
provide a unique ad from one instance to next for the same Object
and/or for the same frame for the same viewer in a Program, an
ability to vary the ads from one Program to another, an ability to
provide unique ads for the same Program displayed at different
times (for example a viewer watching a rerun of a comedy playing a
year later, or watching the Program on a DVR a week after recording
it), an ability to vary the ads from one geographical location to
another, ability to have different ads for different Viewing
Devices (for example one ad for conventional TV watching versus
another for an iPhone) etc.
[0090] Furthermore, the ACE may structure an ad according to a
unique viewer profile. Consider an example where the viewer profile
shows a middle income mother interested in an extremely expensive
handbag such as a Birkin (a typical Birkin may easily cost north of
$12,000). However, the viewer profile indicates that she is
unlikely to buy that bag. So in this instance the ACE may not only
provide the information about the handbag selected, but may also
include other better priced handbags that may share some common
design traits such as style, color, size, detailing etc. with the
selected Birkin hand bag. The same holds true for the other items
such as shoes. Ad structuring computations could also be performed
by the ACE in a manner that optimizes an Object and/or frame
advertiser's one or more targets. In a further enhancement, the ACE
could be used to test ads to identify the optimized ad structuring
for a unique profile, and/or for a profile representing a class of
viewers, and/or a generic profile across some or all viewers.
[0091] The Object Advertiser and/or Frame advertiser's business
targets could include a specific predetermined number of viewers
matching its requisite demographics (and/or outside of the defined
demographics) selecting one or more of its Objects and/or Frames
for a specific Program, a specific predetermined number of viewers
matching its requisite demographics (and/or outside of the defined
demographics) selecting one or more of its Objects and/or Frames
for a specific Program over a specified time, a specific
predetermined number of viewers matching its requisite demographics
in a specified time selecting one or more of its Objects and/or
frames across one or more Programs, revenue, profit, inventory,
market share, growth rate in a certain Product category such as
Electronics or tourists from a specific geography, overall growth
rate, etc. The computation of the customized offer may take into
consideration current status of one or more such targets in the
context of their corresponding over all targets. Additional inputs
that can be factored in such computation may include the viewer
profile, his/her geographical location, the number of times the ad
has been shown so far for one or more Objects and/or frames in a
given time for a specific Program and/or across Programs, the
number of customized offers made so far for one or more Objects
and/or frames in a given time for a specific Program and/or across
Programs, the number of times one or more Objects or the frames
containing one or more Objects and/or frames have been saved in a
given time for a specific Program and/or across Programs, the
number of times one or more Objects or one or more frames
containing one or more such Objects, and/or frames has been
instantaneously viewed in a given time for the specific Program
and/or across Programs, the number of times information was
requested and/or sent for one or more Objects and/or frames in a
given time for a specific Program and/or across Programs, a ratio
of actual transactions over number of times an Object and/or frame
was selected during a Program and/or across Programs, a ratio of
actual transactions over number of times an Object information was
sent during a specific Program and/or across Programs, etc. In
addition to some of the viewer action data mentioned above, other
factors may include recent performance statistics, long term
performance statistics, trend lines, market data, statistics
related to follow-up targeting etc. It should be noted that some of
these inputs could be feedback from the previous activity. Yet
another input may include the viewer's activity in social media for
one or more of Objects and/or frames of his interest during a
Program, for one or more Objects and/or frames of his interest
during a Program over a specified time period, one or more of
Objects and/or frames of his interest across Programs over a
specified time period etc.
[0092] An additional set of inputs may include data from other
sales channels including off-line transactions. For example, the
revenue target may be common across all potential sales channels.
In that event the current status of aggregated revenue from all
sources may also be used by the ACE for the computation.
[0093] One or more of the inputs outlined above could also be used
while computing a bid for participation in real-time bidding for a
viewer.
[0094] The customized offer, if made for an Object, could consist
of things such as price, shipping duration (for example 2 days, 3
days etc.), shipping cost if any, any promotions such as additional
coupons or more loyalty points etc. An alternative is that
customized offer is made for one out of every "n" viewers
independent of his/her profile and/or dependent on his/her profile
allowing the Object advertiser to refine its targeting. Such
customization could also be randomly used by the Object advertiser
as it may want to gain additional insights into viewers and their
respective behavior under certain circumstances. Similarly using
the example of the golf course, the customized offer, if made to
the viewer, could consists of things such as cost of playing on the
course, hotel room cost, air fare to the location, maybe a free
dinner and so on.
[0095] To get better insights into the computation-intensive nature
of the ACE, consider an example of an Object advertiser who is
advertising 10 dresses, 10 pairs of corresponding shoes and 10
matching handbags across 3 highly popular 30 minute long primetime
Programs that air at the same time, and match the Object
advertiser's desired demographics. If the total viewership across
such Programs was 30 million viewers and 10% of the viewers were
interested in, on average, three of the advertised Objects (one
dress, the corresponding shoes and matching hand bag), the ACE will
have to compute 9 million such customized offers in a span of 30
minutes. This requires ACE to compute 5,000 customized offers per
second. Furthermore, if these customized offers are being computed
to optimize the Object advertiser's one or more targets, then the
computational requirement will increase substantially. The
computational requirement grows further if each ad is uniquely
structured subject to viewer profile. The computational
requirements on the ACE are additionally much greater when highly
time sensitive real-time bidding participation is also included in
the mix. In a preferred embodiment, ACE should be implemented using
customized hardware. If the software implementation is used then
the performance will degrade subject to the required level of
computations needed.
[0096] In another embodiment, an Object advertiser for example may
broadly define 1,000 profiles and classify each incoming viewer
profile in to one such group. This could simplify the ad
structuring related computational tasks for the ACE.
[0097] One or more outputs of the ACE can be fed back to the inputs
of the ACE. It should be noted that a simpler version of the above
described real time adaptive feedback driven engine, the ACE, could
also be implemented for the purpose of supporting the Object and/or
Frame information provider.
[0098] As stated earlier, while the ACE is associated and typically
reside with an Object Advertiser and/or Frame Advertiser but this
is not necessarily true in all cases. The ACE may reside with the
Content Provider in case it is acting as an Object Advertiser. For
example, ABC Network may advertise one of its own Programs during
another of their Programs. In another embodiment, a Content
Provider may source the data from one or more Object and/or frame
advertisers, collate the data in the desired format, and acts as
the ad server. In further embodiment the ACE functionality could be
split across two physical and/or virtual engines, one residing with
a Content Provider and another with the Object and/or frame
advertiser, working together. In yet another implementation, a
physical machine may contain multiple virtual ACE's. In an
alternative implementation, the ACE may reside at a third party
such as a Demand Side Provider on behalf of a corresponding
Merchant. In another embodiment, Object and/or frame information
provider functionality may reside with the Content Provider.
[0099] Viewer Configuration:
[0100] In one of the embodiments, a viewer can configure the system
according to his/her needs. For example, the viewer may not want to
have any alcohol related Object ads, effectively making them
non-selectable. A viewer interested in buying a car may configure a
filter such that it only sees car and related Object's details as
it hovers over a frame. Another viewer may only want to see handbag
and shoe Objects and so on. The viewer can also configure how he or
she wants to see the selected items, such as by hovering over it,
view the specifics right away, and view them later or any
combination thereof. In another enhancement, a viewer has the
ability to filter the Objects by category. For example, a viewer
may only be interested in automatically learning more about the all
the dresses in the Program such as Academy Awards, without having
to select one or more dresses.
[0101] While the disclosure has been described with reference to an
exemplary embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the
art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be
substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope
of the disclosure. In addition, many modifications may be made to
adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the
disclosure without departing from the essential scope thereof.
Therefore, it is intended that the disclosure not be limited to the
particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for
carrying out this disclosure, but that the disclosure will include
all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended
claims.
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